Welcome to BOFIN News! On this page we will talk you through all the exciting things that BOFIN has been up to and is expecting to happen over the next month, along with exciting announcements.
Do also check out our ‘Flaggable Things’ to find out about new and exciting initiatives.
LOCATION: The Oak Tree building within the Warwick Complex
TIME: 11:30 – 3:00PM
If you are involved with either of these projects and planning on attending then please get in touch with info@bofin.org.uk to let us know. We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible.
October 2023
Slug Sleuth duties are underway!
We are excited to announce that all farmers that have signed up to be Slug Sleuths as part of the SLIMERS project are busy having their trial sites monitored and set up with traps! We are also in the process of setting them up on the Husk Data app which is being used to record, monitor and store all data as part of the project trials. Click here to take a look at the Husk Data website. The app is:
01. Fast & Agile
We are being asked to farm more efficiently and to do that we need to record what we have done. Data can be boring to capture but it needs to be done at the time or it is never available again!
02. Accurate & Paperless
On farm we need to know what we have done, what we have, and where it is; where the bales are and how many of them, what grain has been moved and from where. We have created a simple system that can replace all data that is currently captured with handwritten forms (and lots of data that is not captured at all) and collect it in one place.
03. Real-Time Data Capture
Data capture is an increasingly vital element in determining a farms efficiency, and in the future it will be essential for accessing Carbon reduction payments and proving environmental work.
September 2023
Farmer-Focus Writers
New Agtech magazine seeks Farmer Focus writers
Do you have a flair for writing and would you like to share your views on innovation with like-minded farmers?
We’re looking for BOFIN farmer members who would like to write a one-off or regular column as Farmer Focus writers for a brand-new magazine that will be published alongside Direct Driller.
AgTech Farmer will bring quality editorial and in-depth analysis to the world of agritech innovations. But more than anything it’s about the farmers pioneering the farming systems of the future who are leading the Fourth Agricultural Revolution.
We’re particularly keen for Farmer Focus writers with experience of robots, automation or AI, who have helped develop new ways with drones or shaped tech gadgetry to solve an on-farm issue. Or perhaps you have a vision of the future – you can place yourself in 2030 and write about the farming system, the politics and the marketplace you will face.
BOFIN members farm at the coalface of innovation – no other farmers have knowledge of such value, nor can offer insight with more credibility. If you can put this into words, this is the chance to put yourself at the leading edge of farming’s journey to a new frontier, to define how it shapes up and whom it rewards. Anyone interested should contact tom@bofin.org.uk by 15 September.
August 2023
Stakeholder Coexistence Dialogue On Precision-Bred Organisms
Thank you to all of those who took part earlier this year in our survey to gather your views on precision-bred organisms (PBOs) and genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Charlotte and I pulled your views together and presented them to Defra and also handed in a report. We understand they found this very useful.
BOFIN members have now been invited by Defra to take part in a stakeholder dialogue to gather views on coexistence of PBOs and organic agriculture, and to work towards establishing a non-legislative coexistence code of practice.
Participants will be invited to an online workshop and will be given the opportunity to express views on current coexistence measures and how these could be adopted for PBOs with other industry representatives.
Participating BOFIN members would play an active role in developing a coexistence code of practice. Defra views this as key for the widescale adoption of PBOs. Depending on interest, the number of BOFIN members invited to participate may be limited.
If you are interested in taking part, please let me know by email at tom@bofin.org.uk by Friday 28 July. Those who take part will be agreeing for BOFIN to pass their contact details to Defra.
July 2023
Cereals Event 13th-14th June
We had a great time at the Cereals event 2023 engaging with lots of people interested in joining BOFIN and learning all about the projects that we are involved in. Whilst at Cereals, we launched the NCS Project on the PGRO stand and had many eager sign-ups for the PulsePEP which you can join here! Click here to watch our video of our Cereals 2023 highlights.
Royal Highland Show 22nd-23rd June
At the Royal Highland Show, we introduced BOFIN along with the projects we are involved with to our Scottish friends! Many of you showed great interest and signed-up to various projects. It was great to meet lots of new engaged farmers interested in on-farm trials.
Western Arable Grain Store Show 24th June
At the Grain Store Show we managed to engage with many local farmers interested in peas, beans and on-farm trials! BOFIN enjoyed the farm tour and soil pit displayed, along with the existing trial fields on the farm. Lots of you showed good interest in BOFIN and we look forward to inviting to our knowledge circles within each of our projects!
Groundswell Event 28th-29th June
We enjoyed Groundswell 2023, with all of their great exhibitors and delicious food stands! On day 1, the Small Robot Company stand hosted the launch of SLIMERS where many of you came along for nibbles and drinks to learn how to get involved with this project aiming to tackle arable farmings’ biggest pest! Day 2 was all about results. A presentation was delivered by Tom Allen-Stevens and Tom Thirkell on the preliminary results of the Soil Fungal Communities Project. It was great to see so many existing members, along with many new faces!
June 2023
BOFIN would like to welcome Charlotte Cunningham and Skye Melita to the team!
Charlotte is our senior project manager. She is an award-winning freelance journalist and communications consultant, with expertise in the agriculture sector. Specifically, this includes knowledge on and experience in the fields of technical livestock and arable production She has a passion for telling the real stories of those on the ground, driving farming forward.
“Working with BOFIN creates a new opportunity to tell the stories of the latest, cutting-edge, farmer-led research and those on the ground driving the industry forward” says Charlotte.
Skye is our community manager. She has a MSc in Psychology and a background in website building, media and effective marketing. Skye is accomplished, enthusiastic and prolific on social media. Key skills include involving and engaging groups in the most effective way for company aims and objectives. Although new to the world of agriculture, she is keen to bring a fresh perspective.
We have many exciting days here at BOFIN and we want our members to feel as included with our projects, events and daily findings as possible. Therefore, we have started our very own YouTube channel. We will be posting different topics each week and will have very special guests joining us along the way. Follow our YouTube journey by subscribing to our channel!
